Current location:	Williams Arena, MN
Current mood:	Exhausted but Pumped
Current music:	Electric :: Melody Club
Entry tags:	first, robotics, sonic screwdriver, williams arena

Robotics and stuff!
Wow, have I really NOT been on here for...5+ months? What kind of an internet user am I?

Well, real reason I AM here, is because my main forum (Earthsong) has been dead for a few weeks. Many of you have no doubt already noticed, and are likewise flummoxed and bothered. Anyway, I have all this fun an exciting news and no one to share it with! Or so I thought...but here you are, so I was wrong!

Okay, so, since I last posted I have joined the robotics team, learned very sparse amounts of technical stuff and a lot about doing the mundane little jobs people who DO know technical jobs require of me. I can drill stuff, paint stuff, screw in stuff and sew stuff. I can make you a flier, I can write you an article, and yes. I can order you a team sized party sub.

Anywho, I love doing the little jobs just the same, because I DO get to help build a 'ahem' ROBOT. Although, as a first year team, Robobot has turned out a little clunky. But she's really fast, which is cool! But today was a big day for her, the regional FIRST robotics competition! We had all practice and last minute building today (We had to ship our robots for inspection about a month ago, so this is the first and last time we've had access to it for awhile) we start our real competition tomorrow. We'll get paired up with two other robots, and as a team we have to rack up points by going around a track, and knocking balls off a six foot tall rack, putting the balls back up there, throwing them over and moving them on the ground, etc. It's tough stuff, considering the balls are HUGE and the robots themselves are pretty big, making six robots in a relatively narrow space with four balls and speed as an object pretty tricky. And fun, don't forget fun!

I've already done a lot of scouting out other teams, for possible 'alliances'. I've seen some AMAZING designs from veteran teams, and so far the tally of free loot it 13 buttons, 2 pens, 1 stress ball, 1 lanyard, 1 miniature dog house, and 1 handkerchief. As well as a few hugs. It's fascinating, it's fun and it's a GREAT enviornment. They promote 'Gracious Professionalism', which is a grown up way of saying sharing. At the competition, you can go up to the front and ask for ANYTHING and if another team has a spare, they will give it to you no questions asked. THis also leads to some goofing off, of course. Favorite request so far? Sonic screwdriver. ;).